State Parks

With May almost gone and hot Summer temps on our heals it was definitely time for a Spring Wildflowers Identification Hike. It has rained quite a bit and I knew that more flowers would be popping up over the forest floor. We live in a county with over 20 preserves and reserves and less than an hour from 4 state parks so it was time to visit a few and do some wildflower identification. We cannot pick flowers in these areas so we won’t be using our DIY flower press except for the ones we find at home or grandma’s house!

Can you believe that we have lived within 25 minutes of Lake Loramie State Park beach and have never been to the beach? My husband has been to Lake Loramie State Park with an uncle to fish and never even saw the beach. We even camped at the camp ground when Big Red was 13 months old! I am so glad that the #30Places30Days local travel challenge has gotten us to explore fun things to do in and around our county!

We headed off to Lake Loramie State Park to check out the beach. The weather was over 80 degrees but we weren’t sure if it would be “open” or if the beach area would be fenced off and closed. To our surprise and the children’s dismay the beach was open and not fenced and accessible year round!

Nothing quite like spending four days away at Maumee Bay State Park and Maumee Bay Lodge while everyone else is in school or at work! It was a little tough to convince myself that it would be okay to take the week off of homeschool but we managed!

Whenever we head out to a new location or state park we try to get a feel for what it has to offer by driving around, getting a guided tour, or making sure that we have all the maps for the area. Most state parks have Park Map, Trail Maps, and Campground Maps which all prove valuable when you have four children who like to play and explore!

First off I will admit that my family is NOT the roughing it type. I try to get them to camp in the backyard a handful of times which is a feat in itself. So if you want to get out of your daily routine and want a comfortable Glamping, (glamorous camping) experience then Hueston Woods Lodge and Cabins will be perfect for your family.

When we stay away from home we like all the comforts of home from WiFi to a stove and refrigerator and that’s exactly what we got when we stayed at the Hueston Woods Family Cabin! Since Eldest has Type 1 Diabetes having a way to refrigerate his insulin and cook meals easily is a must.

Located about 30 minutes or so from Cleveland is a huge state park called Punderson State Park. It’s nestled into the Ohio countryside between Newberry and Burton off Rt. 87.

One thing I have learned from this trip is to research, ask questions, and then double check the facts. I had called the main desk at Punderson Lodge and thought that there was a laundry service on the premises to find out that it was closer to 7 miles down the road in Burton. Also remember that places like this are for those wanting to relax so some things like meal service runs on a leisurely time schedule. Do not wait until you or your kids are really hungry to place a meal order otherwise you might have an unpleasant mealtime on your hands.